Opinion: Idea to arm teachers with guns to avoid school shootings? That gets an F

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and School Superintendent Desmond Blackburn, Ph.D. talk about Brevard school safety in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting. Video by Tim Shortt. Posted 2/26/18.

Hundreds of protestors gather at the Florida state Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, Feb. 21, 2018, after 17 people were killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.(Photo: European Press Agency)

Recommendations for teachers carrying guns on campus is in response to the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz allegedly killed 17 people.

Is this really what we want instead of more security and improvements to secure entry to schools?

I understand that the process to vet these teachers is going to be extensive, but that’s not what worries me.

One scenario

Let's say a shooter walks into a school and starts firing. The armed teacher then unholsters their gun in front of the class. He or she ventures out into the halls, leaving their class unattended.

The teacher then spots the shooter through a sea of frantic students running everywhere.

The shooter is firing into that mass of students. Does the teacher fire back?

If so, we'd have a crossfire that now has the teacher potentially killing students accidentally while firing at the gunman.

This isn’t Hollywood. Liam Neeson isn’t going to calmly walk out of a classroom and kill a gunman with one pull of the trigger.

If a teacher decides not to engage because of student safety, is he later labeled a coward by the national media because he didn't discharge his weapon?

CLOSE

What's the answer to stopping school shootings? President Trump thinks it's arming educators. We asked teachers all over the country, this is what they said.
USA Today

And when the police arrive, they don’t know who the armed teacher is. What happens if an officer accidentally kills the teacher, thinking he/she is the gunman?

No, the idea of making teachers provide weaponized protection in schools sounds worse the more I hear it.

What needs to happen

Make schools safer. Hire more security. But don't make the teachers the basis for defense. They don't get paid enough, and it's not a good idea.

I also have to wonder who our future educators will be. Think about it, they already get paid so little. Now they have to be armed protection. I think a lot of talented potential educators will find a different path in life. Then, who does that leave to teach our children?

While many debate it, and politicians filibuster rather than answer tough questions, I have some ideas on how to start fixing things:

• You’d need funds to secure schools. Let’s make firearm owners pay for a license with a yearly renewal, just like drivers, boaters, hunters, fishers and bars must have, and use that yearly revenue to harden schools or hire more security.

• For those who don’t know, you don’t need a license to own a gun. Let’s start requiring that. Then we can track who owns which guns. Wouldn’t that make sense?

• For even more funds to enhance school security, let’s make a percentage of each gun sale go to that same fund. I suggest 10 percent. Cigarettes and alcohol are taxed, why not guns?

• I’d adopt regulations like sports stadiums: only see-through bags or no backpacks allowed in schools. We live in the digital age. It’s time to do away with heavy books and have all materials available online. Then backpacks become less needed.

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Principal Ty Thompson at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has a message about the Feb. 14 shooting in which 17 people died after a former student opened fire there. Video posted Feb. 19, 2018

• We should ensure there’s only one point of entry at a school. In many schools, the front office is the only way in, and all other doors are locked. But many schools aren’t there yet. We need to get there.

• If a student is expelled from any level of school, they can’t purchase a gun until after their 25th birthday, and even then, they must pass a mental health check before being allowed to purchase a gun. In fact, personally, I think all people who want guns should have to pass a mental health background test.

If we start taking these steps, we can get to a point where schools will be safer.

I’d rather live in a world where we take steps to make the schools safer rather than hearing our politicians and police officials essentially say, “there’s nothing we can do to stop a shooter, so let’s arm teachers.”

East Brunswick Public Schools Superintendent, Victor Valeski told MyCentralJersey.com that was impressed by the turnout and “large student voice,” adding that if activism continues, he feels something will be accomplished. Dave Schatz/Correspondent